Doubts Persist Over China Fulfilling Pledge to Purchase US Soybeans

26-Jun-2026 06:02 PM

Shanghai. Although China has promised to import vast quantities of soybeans from the US, there are doubts about whether it will be able to fulfill this obligation. In fact, the timeframe for these imports remains unclear.

It is worth noting that last year, when the US announced the imposition of heavy tariffs on Chinese products, China halted imports of US soybeans for a six-month period from May to October 2025. Subsequently, the presidents of the US and China met in the South Korean city of Busan, and an agreement was reached.

At that time, the US administration claimed that China had pledged to purchase 12 million tonnes of US soybeans in November–December 2025 and had committed to importing 25 million tonnes annually from 2026 to 2028.

However, by December 2025, China had purchased only 50 percent of its pledged amount—6 million tonnes—even as the US Treasury Secretary repeatedly reminded China of the deadline. By June 2026, China had imported a total of 11.96 million tonnes of US soybeans, a figure roughly equivalent to the commitment made for the period ending December 2025.